noun
millennial
mih-LEHN-ih-uhl
Millennial (noun) means a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000. Example: “Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet.”
noun
1
A person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000.
"Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet."
adj
1
Relating to a period of a thousand years, or to the year 2000 specifically.
"The millennial celebrations lit up cities around the world."
How to use millennial
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly today, a member of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s; less commonly, something relating to a thousand-year span.
Common pairings
millennial generation
typical millennial
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Word forms
- Plural
- millennials
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ grew up alongside the rise of the internet.
Etymology
The generational sense was coined in 1991 by American authors William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book Generations; the older adjective sense comes from Latin mīllennium plus the suffix -al.
Class of 1991
millennial joined the language around 1991.
See the full Class of 1991 →
Synonyms
View more →
millennian
Rhymes for millennial
See all rhymes for millennial →Frequently asked questions
What does “millennial” mean?
The word “millennial” means a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000. In plain terms, most commonly today, a member of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s; less commonly, something relating to a thousand-year span.
How do you pronounce “millennial”?
“Millennial” is pronounced mih-LEHN-ih-uhl (/məˈlɛn.i.əl/ in IPA).
How do you use “millennial” in a sentence?
Here is “millennial” used in a sentence: “Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet.”
What part of speech is “millennial”?
Depending on how it is used, “millennial” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “millennial” come from?
The word “millennial” dates back to around 1991 and comes from Latin. The generational sense was coined in 1991 by American authors William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book Generations; the older adjective sense comes from Latin mīllennium plus the suffix -al.
How many meanings does “millennial” have?
“Millennial” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000.
